1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to surgically implantable intraocular lenses and, more particularly, pertains to vaulted intraocular lenses, the vaulted intraocular lenses including a plurality of loops of predetermined geometrical shape, the lenses being either posterior lenses or anterior chamber lenses.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art intraocular lenses in the past have been manufactured by tedious and archaic methods. Some of the early prior art lenses were manufactured without vaults and then later lenses were manufactured with vaults, but where the vaults would be a standard vault regardless of the diameter such as the Lieb lens.
The most recently manufactured vaulted lenses required a separate form for each lens as manufactured, which required a separate vault fixture. This resulted in considerable expenditures of time and energy, and considerable expenditures of lost time and motion.
With the considerable success of implants of intraocular lenses over the last years and the acceptance by the ophthalmology community, the number of implanted IOL's has increased as well as the demand worldwide. Also, the ophthalmologists have demanded styles based on personal preference involved by the opthalmologists in their own personal techniques in the insertion of the lens as well as the success of lenses as accepted by their patients.
Consequently, manufacturing in optimizing production and meeting the demand of supply of lenses for the ophthalmologists has been difficult in light of the numerous styles as required by the opthalmologists.
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art manufacturing methods by providing a universal vault fixture for manufacturing and providing vaults in any style of intraocular lens regardless of the designated anterior or posterior chamber lens and the designated plurality of loops of a predetermined geometrical shape.